Stocks struggled for direction Thursday as anticipation built ahead of tomorrow's key jobs report. This week's labor market updates have lifted expectations for a September rate cut, making Friday morning's release of the latest payrolls data even more important.
Today, though, weekly jobless claims were in focus. According to the Labor Department, initial claims rose by 8,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 229,000 – their highest level in a month and more than economists were expecting.
